Spain and Portugal were locked in a closely contested Round of 16 encounter at AT&T Stadium in Texas, with neither side able to find a breakthrough for most of the match. Just as the game appeared destined for extra time, Merino struck in the first minute of stoppage time to score the only goal of the contest and seal Spain's place in the last eight.
Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that he has played his final FIFA WORLD CUP match following Portugal's Round of 16 elimination at the hands of Spain in Dallas. “I’m fine, sad to leave the World Cup this way. But, as I said yesterday in the press conference, I gave my best and I leave with a clear conscience," he told SportTV after the game.
Ronaldo made history in Portugal's second match at the FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 when he became the first player to score at six editions of the global finals, finding a yard of space in the Uzbekistan box before rifling home a cross with a trademark first-time finish. In total, the forward played 27 matches – which puts him second on the all-time appearance list – and scored 11 goals.
